Would you be upset if your family used Pinnacle to get where they want to but you had to buy them ZED pass to get them on vs just listing them on the flight? I'm sure most Delta/NWA would get bent out of shape too if they had to pay for a ZED pass to get their family on a plane that Pinnacle bought and operate (900's). I don't expect to be ahead on a mailine guy on a Delta or NWA flight but having to buy a ZED pass on a Delta flight for my dad to me is wrong. I'm not asking Delta employees to give up anything, just have the same benefits as we did in the NWA system. Take this for example. How is it that I can send my dad on Alaska Airlines from SEA to MSP for $80 on a ZED/ID but on the new Delta pass it's $400+ on ZED. To me this doesn't seem right. You might not think it will affect you guys with this new travel benefits for us, but what would happened if your family or the family of other Delta employees is trying to get on a Pinnacle flight but the flight is canceled because CA or FO can't get to work due the mother of a Mesaba gate agent (who was hired last week) bumped a 10 year Pinnacle CA off a Delta flight. Like i said i don't expect what you guys (at mainline) have but the new travel benefit is much worse than what we use to have.

"... I realize you are upset about the changes, but you are a vendor. You are contracted employees. In effect, you work for an employment agency that provides services for someone else. I do think you deserve pref travel on your airline, but why should DAL employees give up a benefit for you to travel on us?[/quote]"

yes, I agree...Pinnacle (AKA: 9E) is a vendor..however, 9E was a "contract employee" (aka: vendor) for NWA after they spun us off..BUT..even as a "vendor" for NWA, 9E employees were yet afforded full flight benefits with NWA, albeit at a lower boarding priority on mainline aircraft.

I think the gripes with most of us is whether we commute, travel NRSA for pleasure or whatever, flying benefits are what led most of us to this industry..now the majority of those benefits are being taken away or greatly reduced.

The only real benefit we have left (or HAD left) was our ability to travel NRSA and take a friend along for a nice trip somewhere...or buy a confirmed seat for about 30% off...or allow our parents to travel for a reasonable price..or go to Asia and/or Europe a couple times a year...

Not everyone has the luxury of working for a mainline or wholly-owned carrier..I agree mainline and wholly-owned's should have higher boarding priority..how much more would it have cost Delta to offer these new travel benefits to 9E? Surely if NWA done it, Delta could have reciprocated.

At this point, it isn't going to matter come June 23rd..we'll take what we got stuck with, continue doing our jobs in a professional manner and see if DL throws us a bone..maybe bumping us up to "4" transoceanics per year to at least allow us to get back from our 3rd trip instead of having to buy a ZED to get back home. At least they did reduce the annual fee to $50, down from the $200 plus for a family of +3. Maybe DL will change their mind later down the road and enhance our travel program..who knows?!

The real issue here is we are the 2nd largest regional partner w/Delta and have the absolute Worst pass travel benefits...

When i left Pinch a Nickle we boarded last even on our own planes thanks to northwest removing the 5w from mesaba and NW on pinnacle flights.

According to the Delta pass office, all non wholly owned carriers(except ASA/SkyWest) lost their buddy passes and parents have to fly ZED at the hiest rate, so you guys really didn't get singled out.

Maybe cause we're your #1 performing regional who operates at the lowest cost and gets the worst bennies......just a thought. Nobodys asking to take your boarding priority but we're getting shafted on our own planes even. What exactly would YOU be giving up for us to be able to travel international more than 1.5 round trips and get our parents and buddies on??????

What differs us from them besides a CEO who actually negotiates bennies that aren't worthless.....Also Delta is the only carrier we fly for where the other contracted carriers also get bennies from their other mainline carriers. So basically we're getting dumped on....Simply The Worst

When are you going to come to the realization that Pinnacle and the other regionals are not real airlines. They are small jet providers. They are merely outsourced contractors providing a service to the "real" airline . . . Delta.

Pinnacle does not fly in it's own livery, sell it's own tickets, etc. Don't expect to be treated like Delta employees. If you want specific non-rev privileges, then make then contractural in your labor contract.

It should also be mentioned that thanks to the new policy, we can only take one international flight on Delta per year. This includes jumpseating. Basically someone working at another airline can jumpseat on DL overseas as much as they want to, but we can only do it once.

Sorry, but being the lowest cost carrier flying a mainline aircraft at minimum wage will not getting you any sympathy